Madhav Bhandari, a seasoned CMO known for scaling SaaS companies, shares invaluable insights into early-stage marketing strategies. He discusses the importance of creating a playbook for startups and why his focus peaks at $15M ARR. Madhav highlights employee advocacy on LinkedIn as a powerful marketing tool and introduces innovative concepts like Demo Days to engage potential customers. He also emphasizes the shift in SEO metrics and the balance between personal and company branding, shedding light on how to navigate the complexities of startup marketing.

How can you rise to unicorn status in an industry dominated by legacy players? Jon Stona, VP of Global Marketing at B2B global payments processor Airwallex shares his insights into growing the company from a coffee shop in Australia to a dominant player in the fintech space.  Today, Airwallex has a $5.6B valuation and handles $100B in processing volume. So, what's the marketing machine behind this financial challenger brand?  00:00 Intro 01:29 What is the marketing budget for a $5B company? 02:55 Sponsorships and the theory of economic value10:48 Celebrity partnerships 22:04 The mechanics of sports marketing23:48 Bringing structure to a marketing team26:53 The role of product marketing within a company33:14 Transforming company culture35:47 The difference between leadership and therapy45:17 Building a sustainable brand59:43 Measuring growth through branded search 1:06:20 Are operating principles important for a company? 1:12:01 Differentiating yourself as a commodity1:14:08 Building out PMM teams for different products1:16:57 Allocating SEO budget1:18:48 The usefulness of industry reports1:26:11 How to use case studies in marketing1:31:04 Getting your name in the press1:34:33 Driving growth through industry events1:41:17 Industry awards 1:46:48 Outro We hope you enjoyed this episode of Ahrefs Podcast! As always, be sure to like and subscribe (and tell a friend).  Where to find Jon: LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstona/) Website: https://www.airwallex.com/ Where to find Tim: LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/) X: @timsoulo Website: https://www.timsoulo.com/ -------------------------Referenced: McLaren: @mclarenF1: @Formula1Lando Norris: @LandoNorrisShifted Perspectives: https://www.airwallex.com/airwallex-mclaren-racing-shifted-perspectivesMichael Murphy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Murphy_(sculptor)Mere exposure effect (psychology): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effectForrester: @forresterEdgar, Dunn & Company: https://www.edgardunn.com/Skift: @skiftnewsYouGov: https://www.yougov.com/David Fallarme: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dfallarme/) Stripe Sessions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcoWp8pBTM3CYTQho8i-a_lzx4cq7-ePhBeyond Black FridayeCommerce Champion Awards: https://www.airwallex.com/newsroom/amid-online-spending-resurgence-airwallex-unveils-inaugural-airwallexMoney20/20: https://www.money2020.com/ Cloud 100 list: https://www.forbes.com/cloud100/list/

Neil Patel, a giant in digital marketing and founder of NP Digital, shares how he scaled his agency to over $100 million. He discusses the shift from serving small businesses to landing enterprise clients like ESPN and LVMH. Neil reveals the importance of client relationships and effective churn-reduction strategies. He also emphasizes personal branding's role in business growth and his decision to pivot away from selling courses. Plus, he candidly reflects on his spending habits and how they connect with professional credibility.

Steven Kalifowitz, CMO of Crypto.com, shares his journey from HBO to one of crypto's leading brands. He dives into the art of transforming a brand amid regulatory hurdles and discusses managing million-dollar marketing budgets. There's insight on differentiating casual from heavy users and leveraging live sports for visibility. Kalifowitz also debunks myths around NFTs and explores the importance of authenticity in branding. His expertise in managing brand narratives shines as he emphasizes the need for constant engagement and strategic partnerships to foster trust.

Fery Kaszoni, CEO of Search Intelligence Ltd, shares his journey from web developer to leading a £10M digital PR agency. He reveals how his viral song spoofs bolstered his personal brand and discusses the delicate balance of humor in marketing. Fery also highlights effective team dynamics, strategic hiring, and the transformative impact of a four-day workweek. He argues that social media and brand visibility are redefining SEO and provides insights on achieving consistent messaging to enhance audience engagement.

Zac Harris, founder of Rankd. and former Head of Demand Gen at Copy.ai, shares insights on the evolving landscape of AI content creation. He argues that AI can produce high-quality content with the right input, emphasizing the need for exceptional prompts. Zac discusses his journey scaling Copy.ai to one million visits monthly, the importance of tailored AI workflows, and effective link-building strategies. He also touches on the balance of creativity and management in content strategy, and the significance of mentorship in shaping one's career.

Bryan Harris, known for his successful online course platform Videofruit, now runs Growth Tools, emphasizing coaching and leadership. He discusses shifting from low-ticket courses to high-value coaching, and the importance of partnerships in cold acquisition strategies. Bryan shares insights on 'borrowing' audiences for growth and the significance of trust in high-ticket selling. He also explores innovative ways to engage audiences and the intricacies of building a robust marketing department. Finally, he reflects on his experiences with AI tools like ChatGPT.

John O'Nolan, Founder of Ghost and former Deputy Head of UX at WordPress, shares his journey from WordPress to launching a successful non-profit, open-source platform for independent publishing. He discusses the challenges of traditional platforms like Medium and the importance of user-friendly alternatives. The conversation highlights innovative recommendation systems, audience growth strategies, and the benefits of decentralized networks like the Fediverse. O'Nolan also touches on Ghost's future and its mission to support independent journalism in a competitive landscape.

What is it like to have the freedom to create marketing campaigns that are so crazy, they're LITERALLY out of this world? Let's find out! Andrew Davies, CMO of SaaS payment infrastructure provider Paddle, joins Ahrefs Podcast to discuss everything from their high production value video campaigns to the crossover between customer engagement and marketing to why you're probably using your blog section wrong. If you're ready for a more advanced masterclass in marketing, you won't want to miss this discussion! In this episode, we cover: Creating compelling brand stories Educating customers on your product offering Bringing customers into your marketing How you should be using your blog SEO vs paid media Creating out of this world creatives Content distribution game changers Upping your video production game Leveraging events for community buildingEmpowering teams to go on camera What is Account Based Marketing (ABM) Community empowerment as a marketing tool Inspirational marketers _________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe! Where to find Andrew: X: https://x.com/andjdavies LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andjdavies/ Website: https://www.paddle.com/ Where to find Tim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/ X: @timsoulo Website: https://www.timsoulo.com/ ________________________________________________ Referenced in the episode: Space campaign: https://space.paddle.com/

Tomasz Niezgoda, Head of Marketing at Surfer, an AI-powered content marketing platform, shares insights into the company's rapid growth. He discusses the transformative power of 1:1 onboarding calls and the importance of educational videos for user engagement. The conversation covers strategic home page redesigns and the value of SaaS certifications. Tomasz also emphasizes the crucial balance of quality content and AI tools in marketing, and how personal interactions can elevate brand identity and customer connections.